How Aboot That, Eh? - Week 7 at the MTC

KUMUSTA!!! So here's what's been happening this past week. We got a new district!!!! Awesome! They are the new 2A district because the old one left on Monday. There are 8 elders and 4 sisters. No Canadians but one elder is from Montana and he likes hockey.  I wonder if I looked that scared on my first day?
 Elder Chadderton and I and the co-ordinating sister (Sister Packard) did a tour of the MTC, and told the new missionaries how to use their study time and Companion Inventory. Elder Chadderton and I did a mock inventory for them - a good one and a bad one. For the bad one I told him he leaves Kiwi fruit skins all over the dorm room and it's driving me crazy. The other New Zealander sister liked that. We had planned on playing a minor, minor prank on the new district. Bro. Welch told us of a friend of his who served in Japan, and his ZL's told him, once he got there, that because of earthquakes they had to wear their bike helmets to bed. So he wore his to bed for two weeks until they told him otherwise. So we were going to tell them that we had to sleep with our thermostats on hot so it wouldn't be a shock when we get to the Philippines. A little mean but so funny eh?
 The rest of the zone had gym and we were orienting the newbies (this is on Wednesday night). We got back to the dorm and I realized there were no mattresses on their new beds....I realized our zone had stolen them before they went to gym. It was actually a genius idea. This one elder in new 2A turned to me (he's a big rugby player) and said that this happened to him once before in college and he threw the guy out the window! My response was "These windows don't open". Zing! Anyways, it was funny until I found out where they put the mattresses. There's a supply room in our hall that they only open on Fridays to get new bedding and stuff. It's locked otherwise. Apparently a staff worker from the MTC had opened it, went to do something else, the zone stuffed the mattresses in there, and the worker came back and locked it without knowing they were in there. What a way to start your mission! I felt so bad. They didn't really try hard to get back into the supply room either until we told them that unless they got the mattresses back they would give theirs to the new missionaries. They got someone down to the dorms real fast!
The whole new 2A is going to Quezon City ( a mission that is growing so much that they split it recently) and ONE guy is going to Laoag (pronounced LA-WOG apparently, good to know).
We got a new teacher in place of Sis. Maiello. His name is Brother Malina and he's Filipino.  I can't speak for all the teachers in the other districts but our teachers' teaching styles works like this: you love the people you teach, you let it show that you love them, you teach them the gospel just a little bit more than the language, and you teach them really well in the language. If loving those you serve is essential in every other position in the Church, why would it not be when you're teaching people who will be learning to love a different culture, and teaching a gospel of love for two years?
The value of work can't be understated here in the MTC.  I'm so glad I had work experience before I came. Thank you so much for sending my Tagalog hymnbook. It will be worn out before I even leave here ( not really but we use them a lot).
 We're having a zone conference today after p-day. The ZL's are holding it and the teachers are helping. It's a discussion on how to better study and plan (very imortant). I started studying Christ (broad topic, I know). But Elder Russell M. Nelson told me that there are something like 18 pages in the topical guide with scriptures on Chirst and that you would understand and love Christ more if you studied them. I love it so far. I'll try to do at least half a page a week so I can really analyze each scripture. One of the things I am learning about teaching the gospel to people, is to teach them how to get answers to prayers and to be patient in the process. If an answer came right away, you wouldn't treasure it as much because you didn't really work for it - like many things in life, I guess.
Apparently I have an accent. A weird Canadian/Scottish mix. I don't believe it but apparently I say "aboot" and "eh" a lot. I know more about America than the U.S. elders know about Canada. I named all the states for them and told them I'd give them all the money on my blue card if they could name 5 provinces in Canada (you get 6 bucks a week on you card, the amount from last week carries over if you don't use it all. You only spend it on laundry soap, haircuts, and stuff form the vending machines and store.) They said, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, Toronto (haha) and that's as far as they got. It was good.

This week I've realized how many great people have been put in my path and how big an effect they have had on my life. It says in my patriarchal blessing that it's not by chance that I've met so many great people along the way. I think of people at Church, in high school and even people I met in Fort MacMurray when I worked there that summer. I'm just realizing how great a plan this is, being here on earth - how intricate our life stories are, how small things we learn from encounters with people can shape our whole lives. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to do the same for the people in the Philippines.
We taught a really good lesson this week. We had planned it all out but felt impressed to teach something different as we were directed by the Spirit. Our grammar and vocabulary were so-so but the Spirit was strong. You don't feel grammar. You don't feel vocabulary. You feel testimony though, and you feel the spirit, that's why we teach people, not lessons.
Lastly, Celetial breakfasts! Every Friday we go to the temple. And then we go to the temple cafeteria where they serve real good food (I am starting to get tired of MTC food). I look forward to it every week. Today I had an omlette, 4 pieces of bacon, hashbrowns, two biscuits with gravy - awesome!
 We learned a new way to ask for things sa Tagalog: "Pahingi po ng ___?". So I started saying "Pahingi po ng Amen?" (can I get an Amen?). It's so funny to do to people while we're walking or to Tagalog teachers.

 Anyways, this MTC experience is the single most impactful experience of my life, and it'll never happen again so I'm trying to make the most of it. It shows me how to appreciate life more - the small things more, and the big things too.
 Alam ko po na totoo and simbahan ni JesuCristo. Alam ko po na totoong propeta ni Josep eSmit (how they say it haha) at totoong buhay propeta ni Thomas S Monson. Alam ko po na mahal po ng Diyos tayo. Mahal kita. Sa pangalan ni JesuCristo Amen. Pahingi po ng Amen? Haha.
 Till next Friday! Love ya. Ingat po! Magandang araw!
Elder Maalikabok (Dusty).